The alleged abuse started when the girl was 5, Harris said. The girl, who Julien knew through a friend, now is 17.

There is no indication that the alleged sexual assaults happened when he was on the job, said Cliff Gibson, chief operating officer of the school bus company, DATTCO.

Julien, who drove a school bus in Trumbull, was placed on an unpaid leave of absence in February, when DATTCO officials learned of a pending investigation by the state Department of Children and Families, Gibson said.

"The company immediately placed the employee on unpaid leave of absence, pending the outcome of that investigation," he said. "He remains in a non-work status at this time, and DATTCO will continue to monitor the investigation, cooperating with the authorities as required."

"There's no indication that this happened in the workplace," Gibson added.

Julien has been a school bus driver for 15 years and has worked for DATTCO since August of 2013, Gibson said. He passed FBI fingerprint checks, annual criminal background checks and other pre-employment examinations, he said.

"The first thing we're thinking about in a case like this is the safety of children," Gibson said.

State records show that Julien was in custody Tuesday on $200,000 bail at the Bridgeport Correctional Center.